Raghavendra Ghatey

Despite a once in a lifetime role by Eijaz Khan, Power packed performances by the who’s who of Marathi film industry like Priya Bapat, Atul Kulkarni, Sachin, Siddharth Chandekar et al and many other known Bollywood veterans (barring Sushant Singh and Ali Asgar who have hammed unnecessarily) this is not even another Mirzapur due to a trite storyline, shoddy editing and uneven pace. Some subplots are needlessly drawn out and some maudlin scenes go on and on. The sex scenes seem contrived, the language too vulgar at times and the gore is over the top. Most of the supporting cast is excellent. The casting is perfect. Season one was very good but it is downhill thereafter. This could have otherwise easily been a great Political Web Series.

A movie which could have been much better with a tighter script, better direction and better editing. Not a single scene touched my heart. Both the leads despite their singing prowess failed to grasp the essence of their roles. Dusanj is more disappointing . Even Pariniti could not throw the extra kilos which she boasts to have put on for this role behind the character. A R Rahman appears to have outsourced this movie to a B grade Punjabi music director. Overall, a time not well spent.

Despite the hype, not for those looking for feel good entertainment. Harrowing, depressing and annoying are some words that come to mind. Every episode ends in more disappointments. Qualley lived the part, Andie was over the top, others adequate. Very uninspired direction and script writing. The same thing could have been easily made in a much more interesting way.

After the hoopla, the movie is a tad disappointing. All the well worn tropes of Indian cinema like an evil landlord, a fast drinking rascal turning into the hero, the shrill mother, the textbook muse and a grand climax showcasing the triumph of good over evil. A bit of mysticism adds more masala to the pot and a hit is born. That said, the performances are great, action sequences are well choreographed and the pace of the narrative never flags. Overall, a good time pass fare.

A typical heartwarming story well made. I was a big fan of Daenerys and Emilia does well enough to play a breezy bubbly role quite different from it. But somehow I found the frequent contortions of her eyebrows a tad jarring. I am sure there are other ways of emoting with your face. Too many cliches were thrown in, in the tradition of fairy tale romcoms but the movie remains enjoyable till the end.

Hackneyed plot, indifferent direction, hamming and sleaze. An endless filmy marriage video of the nouveau riche. Very disappointing.

I don’t understand why some people didn’t understand the story or had problems with the plot. I found it quite interesting and gripping. The ensemble cast doesn’t disappoint at all. In fact, what is surprising is despite being in the midst of such great talent, Margo Robbie, notwithstanding her Barbie image, turns in a very strong performance. If one has to point out a flaw, it is the lack of unpredictability and one misses the unexpected twists and turns which have become a hallmark of this genre in the recent years.

When Ananya (Marathi film of 2022) meets Iqbal (A Shreyas Talpade, Nasiruddin Shah starrer), mix stock drunk roles of the past, and yell Vande Mataram at the end (Now even Bharat Mamta ki Jay is passe) after the hero(ine) pulls off a last ball win, a breezy AB cameo in the second half, throw in a transsexual for wokeness and you have Ghoomer. Saiyami Kher has done an excellent job and Shabana makes an impact in her small role. But alas, AB junior doesn’t, for me. He is competent but barely so. The rest of the cast is quite forgettable. Some blame would have to be ascribed to sketchy writing and hohum direction. The idea of a one handed person making it to a national team without any match experience,merely on the recommendation of one past great, stretches the limits of credibility. The background score and the songs are below par. Overall, a feel good story which could have been made much better.

Great acting, cinematography and characterisation. But, a slow movie with a predictable ending in the era of fast action with rapid plot twists. One keeps expecting for something to happen till the end. The usual trope of overt masculinity with hidden homosexuality(which is done to death in Ozark) is revealed with a lot of hemming and hawing. The reason for Phil’s change of heart looks suspect with the undercurrent of homosexuality. Rose just wilts in the face of hostility despite her initial show of energetic efficiency. Other characters are predictably believable. The dissonant background score suits the mood of the movie but the atonality is a tad overdone. Overall a good movie with pretensions of being profound.